Need a good laugh? Serby article from April

[Preston Howley III]

April 30, 2006 Sunday

SECTION: All Editions; Pg. 111

LENGTH: 959 words

HEADLINE: DON'T BEAT AROUND THE BUSH: THEY MISSED OUT

BYLINE: Steve Serby

BODY:

ONCE the Jets were in play for Reggie Bush, the first draft choice of the Eric Mangini-Mike Tannenbaum Era in many ways became Bush or Bust.

The franchise that too often has missed could reach out and touch a Jordanesque, can't-miss superstar.

It turned out to be yet another cruel tease in an endless line of cruel teases that have tormented the Jets since Jan. 12, 1969.

They done good, these Generation Jets.

They could have done great.

But you can't be great unless you dare to be great.

They didn't get The President.

Because they didn't, because they would not part with the 29th and 71st picks of yesterday's NFL Draft and stock in Woody's Johnson and Johnson and the little Herman Edwards statue that stood in the Jets' locker room to move from No. 4 to No. 2 after the Texans choked on DE Mario Williams, rookie GM Mike Tannenbaum and rookie head coach Eric Mangini were not allowed to do somersaults over their selections of franchise left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, center Nick Mangold and quarterback Kellen Clemens.

Instead, they were barraged by questions wondering why they chose not to make the Saints an offer they could not refuse for Reggie Bush.

Every time they watch a defender break an ankle trying to tackle Bush, every time he takes a handoff or a dumpoff or a punt to the house, Jets fans at Radio City Music Hall pleading "We Want Reggie!" before and during the time the Jets were on the clock will curse their luck and wonder what might have been.

To them, this will be remembered as the day the Jets allowed themselves to be Bush-whacked.

In New Orleans, Bush's mere presence will be a psychological godsend to a woebegone franchise and a city that was drenched in sorrow following Hurricane Katrina. He can be Saint Reggie.

The President could have run for Mayor here. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, he would have accelerated by leaps and bounds the rebuilding task that confronts Mangini and Tannenbaum. He would have given Bill Belichick and Nick Saban sleepless nights.

He would have been the most compelling Reggie since Reggie Jackson, Mr. September, October, November, December and January rolled into one. He would have been the most exciting New York football player since Lawrence Taylor. He would have made everyone around him better.

He would have been the Jets' Hope Diamond.

"We need a lot of pieces," Tannenbaum said.

No doubt - but you don't get a crack at a piece like Bush very often.

"It's a rare opportunity where the board marries a need," Tannenbaum said of choosing Ferguson.

Fine - but how about the need at game-breaker, game-changer, difference-maker? Why not a left tackle with the 35th pick?

"Reggie Bush was a prolific college player; I'm sure he'll be very productive as a member of the New Orleans Saints," Tannenbaum said.

Give Tannenbaum and Mangini this: They will make the tough decisions rather than cowtow to the whims of the public. The draftniks could have carried Matt Leinart to the podium on their shoulders - it turned out they did not - and Tannenbaum and Mangini would not have budged off Ferguson.

"I think that the left tackle position is an extremely difficult position to fill," Mangini said.

The draftniks seemed to prefer Ferguson, who has been compared to Lomas Brown, over Hollywood Matt, whose left arm will have a better chance to succeed in Arizona, far from the angry winds of Giants Stadium.

"We got a heck of a player at a heck of a position and he's a heck of a guy," Tannenbaum said.

Ferguson, the heck of a player at a heck of a position who's a heck of a guy they got said: "I don't think there could be a better feeling in the world."

Bush, the heck of a player at a heck of a position who's a heck of a guy they didn't get said: "I would have loved to have played in New York. There's the money and marketing aspect, but I have an open mind, so I'm not disappointed at all."

Back in 1980, the Walt Michaels-Mike Hickey Jets surrendered the 13th and 20th picks to boldly move up to No. 2 for speed receiver Lam Jones, who was a bust.

Reggie Bush will be a bust - in Canton.

[serphnx]

Haha, I'm not sure if I want to laugh at him or punch him. It's that type of arrogant tone and attitude that pisses me off so much about the NY media. They can afford to make these outlandish demands because it is not their head on the line when these things don't work out. Serby should be fired, but obviously he won't be. Maybe he can get himself transferred to KC.

[jetophile]

Let's ring up Richard Todd. Maybe he can put his hands around Serby's throat and shove him into a locker again for old time's sake. Hehe.

[Bugg]

Serby was writing gibberish about the Jints winning the SUper Bowl-until last night. Now, they're the dregs of the NFL. I'm not knocking Reggie Bush. I imagine he'll be a good NFL running back. But without a decent OL, you end up like this-